School board attorney Terry Geoghegan administers the oath of office to new board member Jeff Dickerson. Dickerson fills the vacant board seat for District 1.

By JIM BROOKSNelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018 — The Nelson County Board of Education voted 3-2 Tuesday night to eliminate the midday bus transportation it has offered to students who attend the district’s preschool.

Eliminating the midday buses will save approximately $275,000, explained Tim Hockensmith, the district’s chief operating officer. There are currently 125 children transported each day who will lose their transportation beginning next year.

Ann Marie Williams, the district’s director of elementary schools, reviews the changes at the district’s preschool program at Tuesday night’s board meeting.

Right now, there are 293 3 and 4-year-olds enrolled at the Early Learning Center who attend either a morning or afternoon three-hour preschool session each day.

The midday buses take the morning preschool students home, and pickup afternoon preschool students. Sixty-eight students ride the bus home from the morning preschool, and 57 ride a bus to afternoon preschool.

The midday bus transportation requires 11 bus drivers and 18 bus monitors. The midday bus routes total about 500 miles a week.

The projected savings include $182,000 in salary and fringe benefits; $83,000 in bus fuel and parts; and $10,000 for the cost of substitutes.

PRESCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS. Other changes that were part of the proposal the board approved are aimed at improving the quality of the preschool program.

For example, the preschool calendar will increase from 137 days per school year to 150 days. The daily preschool sessions will be 15 minutes longer, which provides 75 minutes more instruction time teachers will have with students each week.

For those who pay preschool tuition, that cost will drop from $50 to $35 weekly. While the midday buses are eliminated, parents who take advantage of the childcare program will be able to have their children ride a bus home from childcare.

This slide presented at Tuesday’s board of education meeting details the district’s savings from elimination of the midday preschool bus transportation.

IMPACT ON PARENTS? Board members voiced appreciation at the changes to improve the quality of the childcare program, but questioned how the loss of midday transportation would impact the parents who depend on it.

Board chairman Damon Jackey said he had been contacted three weeks ago about someone concerned about the loss of the midday bus transportation. He said he was concerned about making a quick decision on a proposal that represented a substantial change.

“I’m trying to think through the what-ifs as a parent on this,” he said.

Board member Diane Breeding also questioned how the change will impact parents.

Jackey suggested delaying a vote on the changes in order to gauge the impact of the loss of the midday buses, and voiced concern that the change may prompt some parents to leave the county’s preschool program.

Breeding echoed Jackey’s concern for parents who may be caught in the middle.

Ann Marie Williams, the district’s director of elementary schools, said she hoped that parents who had used the midday transportation would opt for the childcare program with bus transportation provided in both the mornings and afternoons. Families who may struggle with the costs will have some options available to them for assistance, she said.

Jackey again suggested postponing a decision on the proposal. Board member Diane Berry made a motion to approve the changes.

Donna Lewis, a district bus driver who drives the middday preschool route, addresses the board of education at Tuesday night’s meeting.

The changes will take effect with the 2018-19 academic year.

BUS DRIVER INPUT. During the board’s public comment period, Donna Lewis, one of the district’s bus drivers who currently drives the district’s preschool midday bus route, was critical of the way the board made its decision.

“The parents out here have no idea what’s about to happen,” she told the board.

She had heard rumors about the change and talked to some of the parents of the preschoolers she transports.

“They don’t want this to happen,” she said. “I know you passed it, but you’re about to lose a lot of kids.”

Parents of five students have told her they will move their students elsewhere, she told the board. She said the board may be in for a rude awakening due to the loss of a number of its preschool students.

Friday, Feb. 16, 2018 — The Nelson County Sheriff’s Office was called about 10:30 Friday morning to Bloomfield Middle School for a report of a student who had made unspecified threats. Two deputies later escorted two female students from the school. They were transported by officers from the school to the sheriff’s office in Bardstown.

According to a district spokesman, Bloomfield Middle School Principal Rodney Morgeson was sending letters home to parents regarding the incident, which did not apparently involve a credible threat to the school. Students and staff were safe at the school and there was no cause for alarm.

Through a spokesman, Interim Superintendent Tom Brown reiterated that providing for the safety and security of the district’s school community is paramount, and that all incidents are being taken seriously and will be investigated.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly listed the age of the students.

Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018 — A 15-year-old Thomas Nelson High School student was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon and charged with making a threat against the school.

According to a statement to the media released Tuesday morning, the allegedly threat followed an altercation between the student and another Thomas Nelson student at the school on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018. Neither student was in school the next day.

School administrators learned Tuesday of a Snapchat post over the weekend that could be described as a threat against the school. Administrators contacted the Bardstown Police Department Tuesday about the social media posting, and after an investigation, the juvenile was taken into police custody Tuesday afternoon.

“Our administrative team at TNHS responded quickly,” Tom Brown, interim superintendent said through the press release. “We take any threat seriously and we are going to make sure we do everything possible to keep all of our kids safe.”

Monday, Feb. 12, 2018 — The following Western Kentucky University students from the Nelson County area were named to the Dean’s and President’s lists for the fall 2017 semester.

Full-time undergraduate students with a semester grade-point average of 3.4 to 3.79 are named to the Dean’s List. Students with a GPA of 3.8 to 4.0 are named to the President’s List and are marked with an asterisk (*).

Monday, Feb. 5, 2018 — New Haven resident Jeff Dickerson has been appointed to fill the seat left vacant when David Norman resigned from the Nelson County Board of Education in November.

Dickerson was appointed by Education Commissioner Stephen Pruitt to fill Norman’s unexpired term, which runs through the end of 2018.

JEFF DICKERSON

The seat will be up for election in November, but Dickerson has not yet decided whether to seek election to the board seat.

Dickerson is a sales representative for Johnan America Inc. in Bardstown. He is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University (1995) and Bethlehem High School (1990). He and his wife Emily live in New Haven. Their son, Maxwell, is a Thomas Nelson High School junior who attended New Haven Elementary School.

Dickerson said he sees serving on the board as a good opportunity for service during “a critical time in our district’s history.”

“It’s an honor to step into this role to assist on the board,” Dickerson said. “I’m excited and a little scared at the same time.”

Dickerson also has served on the Nelson County Public Library Board of Trustees, although he has never before held elective office.

“My heart says to do it, so I must,” said Dickerson, a 2008 graduate of Leadership Nelson County. “My job will be to make wise choices with the data presented.”

Dickerson returns the school board to five members as it moves forward with the process of selecting and hiring the district’s next superintendent.

NEXT UP. The Nelson County Board of Education’s next regular meeting is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018, at the district’s Central Office on Wildcat Lane.

Feb. 2, 2018 — As the 2018 session moves into February, key House priorities are moving through the legislative process, and we recently passed multiple bills to enhance the quality of education in Kentucky.

Two key education bills that we delivered to the Senate last week include legislation imparting greater financial and drug abuse knowledge on the next generation. House Bill 55 calls for drug abuse prevention curriculum to be developed by the Office of Drug Control Policy, with a focus on teaching K-12 students about the dangers of the prescription drug epidemic, and its relation to other dangerous substances. This legislation is a terrific step towards combatting the rising opioid epidemic.

STATE REP. CHAD MCCOY

House Bill 132 requires high school students to take a course on financial literacy as a requirement for receiving a diploma. This legislation brings a much-needed focus on personal finances to our schools, many of which currently have no such requirement. Whether it be student loans, credit cards, or saving for retirement, it is critical for our students to be equipped with basic financial skills.

Meanwhile, House Bill 3, which establishes an “essential skills” curriculum in K-12 schools, was filed this week. Far too much of our potential workforce lacks the practical skills necessary to fill many positions, such as passing a drug test, showing up for work on time, and solving basic problems. Under this legislation, students would be required to complete three out of a variety of essential skills requirements, including undergoing random drug testing and participating in a work-based learning program. The lack of soft skills, and in particular the inability to pass a drug test, is a growing concern that I hear about from employers, and is an issue that this bill will allow our state to make progress on.

Another piece of priority legislation that was recently filed is House Bill 1, which includes comprehensive reforms to our systems of adoption and foster care. For far too long, many children have been held up in state care, unable to be placed into loving homes due to financial and bureaucratic constraints. This proposal seeks to streamline the placement of children into supportive families, and is the product of months of work done by our House Working Group on Adoption. I look forward to seeing movement on this legislation, which will be good for all parties involved, not the least of which are the children and families affected.

A couple of other bills we recently passed out of the House include a transparency measure requiring the posting of ambulance fees by EMT providers, so that all recipients of these services are fully aware of the costs. Meanwhile, House Bill 30 requires suicide prevention training in schools for both administrators and teachers, on an every-other-year basis. As more and more research emerges on the growing feelings of anxiety and depression in young people, it is vital that those who spend significant amounts of time with our students are fully prepared to spot the original signs of suicidal behavior.

We are continuing working to craft a responsible budget that meets all of our obligations. That is the ongoing purpose of our House Budget Review Subcommittees: to evaluate the Governor’s proposal and look for areas where some cuts may need to be restored, while keeping in mind that a top priority is to ensure that we provide full funding to our long-neglected pension systems. I have heard from many of you with your thoughts on the proposed budget, and I hope that you continue reaching out.

I am honored to serve as your voice in Frankfort. In order for me to effectively represent you, it is important that I get your thoughts on the many pressing issues facing our state. You can reach me through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181, or you can contact me via e-mail at Chad.McCoy@lrc.ky.gov. You can keep track of committee meetings and potential legislation through the Kentucky Legislature Home Page at www.lrc.ky.gov.

Thursday, Jan. 26, 2018 — The Bardstown Board of Education voted Wednesday to use the consulting services of the Kentucky Association of School Administrators (KASA) to assist with the selection of the district’s next superintendent.

Phil Eason is the KASA consultant who will begin the superintendent search process by establishing a local candidate screening committee.

According to Eason, Kentucky Revised Statutes say that the six-member screening committee is charged with receiving all applications. The committee — by design — represents a cross-section of the stakeholders in the district and will include:

– two teachers, elected by the teachers;
– one board of education member, appointed by the board chair;
– one principal, elected by the principals of the district;
– one parent, elected by the presidents of the parent-teacher organizations of the school district;
– one classified employee, elected by the classified employees of the school district.

The board will review the superintendent candidates recommended by the screening committee. However, the board is not required to appoint a superintendent from the committee’s recommended candidates.

The board of education’s goal is to appoint a superintendent by May 1, 2018 with duties to begin July 1, 2018.

Eason invites those with questions or input regarding the qualities desired of the next superintendent, email him at phil.eason@gmail.com or contact him by phone at (270) 799-1256.

Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018 — The Nelson County Board of Education got its first look at how Gov. Matt Bevin’s proposed state budget may impact the district’s finances for the next fiscal year.

Interim Superintendent Tom Brown called the cuts to education funding in Gov. Matt Bevin’s budget some of the most drastic he’s seen in 40-plus years in education.

Interim Superintendent Tom Brown said in his 42 years in education, Gov. Bevin’s proposed funding cuts are some of the most drastic cuts he’s seen.

Brown assured the board and the audience that financially, the district is “doing the very best we can do to tighten our belt and get the most bang for our dollar.”

MAKE UP DAYS. The board approved adding two make-up days to the school calendar to cover the two recent snow days when school was canceled. The weather affected five days in total, but three of the five were Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI) days.

Monday, Feb. 19, 2018 was approved as the make-up day for Monday, Jan. 8, and Friday, March 9 was approved as the make-up day for Tuesday, Jan. 16.

DISTRICT 1 BOARD MEMBER. Brown told the board there are two candidates for the open District 1 school board seat who will be interviewed by a representative from the Kentucky Department of Education at Central Office on Jan. 30th.

One of the two candidates will be appointed to serve as the board member representing the county’s 1st district. Brown said the goal is to have the new board member selected by the boards meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018.

DRAFT BUDGET REVIEW. In his review of the draft 2018-19 fiscal year budget, Chief Operating Officer Tim Hockensmith explained that the big unknown is what the General Assembly will do with the state budget.

Tim Hockensmith, the district’s chief operating officer, reviews the draft budget and the potential impact Gov. Bevin’s proposed budget would have on the district’s education funding.

Until the General Assembly has established a budget, the numbers in the district’s draft budget are very preliminary.

Gov. Bevin has proposed a $20.5 million budget cut for the Kentucky Department of Education budget — the second-largest cut among all state agencies.

While Bevin says per-pupil state funding — known as SEEK money — is not being reduced, the governor has proposed substantial funding cuts in a number of programs that support education.

The county school’s 2019 fiscal year SEEK allocation is $13 million, Hockensmith explained. Since that amount is based on projected enrollment, that figure is less than this year’s SEEK allocation of $14.18 million.

As the district’s enrollment has dropped, so has the SEEK funding. In fiscal year 2017, the district received $15.2 million in funding. The district’s plans for dealing with the loss of SEEK funding involve reducing the salary allocation, since SEEK is tied to enrollment, and fewer students mean fewer teachers are needed.

GOV. BUDGET’S IMPACT. Hockensmith pointed to three parts of Bevin’s proposed education budget that would have the greatest impact if approved as proposed.

1. PENSION. The county’s contribution for the County Employees Retirement System (CERS) will increase from 19 percent to 28.05 percent, which represents about a $400,000 increase.

2. TRANSPORTATION FUNDING. The state’s transportation formula calculates that the district’s transportation costs will be $2.4 million for student transportation for the fiscal year. The governor’s budget would reduce that funding to about 25 cents on the dollar, he said.

“We still have to transport the same number of kids, operate a fleet of 60-some buses, drive over 1 million miles a year to transport 3,000 kids a day,” he said. “I hope it doesn’t get passed as proposed, but we have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”

Board Chair Damon Jackey listens during the discussion of the school district’s draft budget.

3. HEALTH INSURANCE. While health insurance costs rise annually, the governor’s budget includes $58 million less for school district health insurance that requested. If approved as presented, the budget will require local school districts to find the money to pay the extra health insurance costs — which could mean represent a $450,000 shortfall for the district, he said.

The governor’s budget also eliminates funds for professional development, representing another expense local district’s will have to fund, Hockensmith explained.

Overall, the governor’s budget would require the district to come up with an additional $1.5 million to cover the budget’s funding reductions.

“We will have a plan ready if that happens, but we’ll hope we don’t have to implement that plan,” he said.

MEDICAID BILLING CONTRACT. The board of education approved entering into a contract with the Lincoln Trail Health Department for Medicaid billing services. The contract will allow Lincoln Trail to file for Medicaid reimbursement on behalf of the services the district’s nurses provide to staff and students.

Robbie Leathers, the district’s director of pupil personnel, explained the target date for Medicaid billing is March 1. The contract with Lincoln Trail will run through June 30, at which time a new contract will be negotiated and approved, he said.

The Medicaid billing is expected to help defray the costs of having nurses available in more district school buildings.

The Nelson County Schools have cancelled classes for Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. The district has activated the plan for use of Non-Traditional Instructional days (NTI/Best Days), due to the prospect of dangerous road conditions. Nelson County child care centers will remain open.